Milford middle school students dig up history

Stacy Middle School seventh-graders were digging up their own pieces of history Thursday at a mock archaeological dig behind the school.

By Lindsay Corcoran/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

By Lindsay Corcoran/Daily News staff

Posted Jun. 14, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 14, 2013 at 2:03 PM

By Lindsay Corcoran/Daily News staff

Posted Jun. 14, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 14, 2013 at 2:03 PM

MILFORD

» Social News

Stacy Middle School seventh-graders were digging up their own pieces of history Thursday at a mock archaeological dig behind the school.

Students learned all the roles archaeologists play during a real excavation by acting as diggers, screeners and scribes as they uncovered different items at different depths, including modern day items at the surface and seashells and wrought iron pieces as they dug lower.

“It’s the depth that really reveals the age,” Social Studies teacher Paul Peloquin told his students during the dig.

After learning about ancient cultures from Peloquin in the classroom, students learned firsthand how to uncover artifacts like the historians used to learn about ancient peoples.

“I try to have it mimic what they’d find on a real dig,” Peloquin said. “They always really enjoy it.”

Seven years ago, Peloquin received grant money from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and funds from the school’s PTO to bring in archaeologist Kimberley Connors. Connors set up a dig with the entire seventh grade class and brought in ancient artifacts she’d uncovered herself.

Peloquin has been replicating the dig every year since, burying items each year after the dig for a new class of students to uncover the following spring.

Thanks to continued PTO funding, Connors still makes an annual visit and students get a chance to touch real pieces of history pulled out of the ground through the process they were able to practice.

Contact Lindsay Corcoran at 508-634-7582 or lcorcoran@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @LacorcMDN.